Shelf styling isn’t just about functionality, it’s about expressing your interior design style and personal taste. Utilizing shelf space to curate a chic, styled look allows your interior decorating skills to shine. Whether your home has built-in, floating, or stand-alone shelves, there are plenty of interior decorating tips and tricks to give your shelves a chic look.
At CHD Interiors, we offer a range of interior design services to help you complete your dream home. Our team of expert interior designers has compiled a list to help you master the art of shelf styling while incorporating your taste and personality throughout.
Start Fresh with Clean Shelves
To transform the design of your shelves, start with a blank canvas. Clear everything off your shelves to clean and dust them. Consider making a mood board to envision what you want the space to look like.
If you add interior design accessories to your preexisting shelves without clearing them off, you may clutter the space and lose sense of your design direction.
Create an Interior Decorating Plan
Going into shelf styling without a design vision only makes the process harder. Here’s how to come up with an interior decorating plan:
- Craft a mood board on Pinterest or other online platforms envisioning what you want the shelves to look like. Flip through your favorite interior design magazines for inspiration.
- Create a color palette for your design that harmonizes with the rest of your home and the decor you already own.
- Head to your local home decor retail store to pick up some interior design accessories and art to fill the shelves.
Balance Scale and Proportion
Achieving visual balance is key to a captivating shelf display. Mix larger decor items with smaller ones to balance the design. For example, add a small plant next to a large piece of art, or add a piece of pottery on top of a stack of books. Play around with the placement of your interior design accessories until you feel you’ve achieved visual balance.
When mastering the art of interior decorating, less is more. If your shelf looks cluttered every way you arrange it, consider removing some items to simplify the design.
Layering Elements
Creating a visually appealing shelf style is all about layering elements to create interest. Without layers, your shelves will appear one-dimensional.
Layering Interior Design Accessories
Layering where your decorative objects are physically placed on the shelf is crucial to creating depth and dimension. Place larger objects in the back and smaller ones in the front to add visual appeal and interest to the shelf.
Layering Color and Texture
Similar to layering where objects are placed, mixing different colors and textures enhances the appeal of your shelves. For example, mix a glass interior design accessory with wood, or a book with a woven basket. Don’t be afraid to mix bold colors but ensure your color theme is throughout. Head to your home decor retail store to find items of various colors and textures.
Mixing Style and Functionality
While it’s easy to get carried away in the interior decorating element of shelf styling, don’t forget the functional aspect of shelves.
- Decorative boxes and baskets: Boxes and baskets can be a decorative way to hide clutter. If you have larger shelves, consider getting matching bins from your home decor retail store to store various items.
- Books: While it’s fun to buy decorative books for your shelves, start with the books you already own and use your shelves as a decorative way to store them.
- Framed photos: Similar to books, shelves are the perfect place to display family photos you already own.
Finish With Personal Touches
In interior decorating, no project is complete without personalized touches. Incorporate interior design accessories that match your personal style like family photos, antique pieces, and handmade artwork. Mixing old items with new ones will give the shelf a homey feel and add personality. No matter what design direction you choose, be sure to incorporate personal touches.
Design Your Chic Shelves with Your Home Decor Retail Store
Mastering the art of shelf styling is about more than arranging items—it’s about creating a display that reflects your design taste and enhances your living environment. By following these expert tips and exploring the interior design services at CHD, you can turn your shelves into focal points that elevate the look and feel of your home.
When mastering the art of interior decorating, less is more. If your shelf looks cluttered every way you arrange it, consider removing some items to simplify the design.
